Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

Back comes Buchholz

The talk show caller circuit will have to find a new topic of conversation to complain about, as Clay Buchholz is indeed coming back to the Boston rotation — just not in the way people expected.

Tim Wakefield is down with a lower back injury, so Buchholz is back, and he’ll pitch Wednesday night.

Fans have been salivating to see more of Buchholz, and rightfully so, given the way he has pitched this season. Now they will get a chance, as he will make at least two starts before Wakefield is eligible to return from the DL on Aug. 2.

It’s interesting talking to Buchholz and seeing him interact with teammates. He is a completely different person than he was last year. He is completely self assured and feels like he belongs, where last year he had that deer in the headlights look from start to finish.

One peeve of mine is the knee-jerk fans who think John Smoltz is done because he’s been inconsistent his first five starts. John is still feeling his way back after missing more than a year with surgery. This guy is a Hall of Famer for a reason. I am of strong belief that Smoltz will play a very significant role down the stretch.His first five innings were terrific last night, and one bad inning shouldn’t erase that memory. The jury is still out, but give the guy a chance at least.

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When I think of Smoltz, my memories go back to 2007 and Curt Schilling. Remember how bad Schilling was for a stretch??? Then all of a sudden sometime in late Aug. of that season he started to pitch good. Smoltz in 2009 has better stuff than Schilling did in 2007. This just in…Smoltz will figure it out!

I’m glad Buchholz is back, of course I would like too see Wakefield healthy but we all knew Wakefield would eventually get hurt/injured. This break for Wakefield will help him!

Just what the Dr. ordered, Beckett on the hill to snap the losing streak and get this team back on track!

NEW THREAD… Hey Arnie, are you ready.. no need to be nervous!!! No pressure from this crowd!!!
Ian, I am guilty of knee jerking when it comes to John Smoltz.. but I think that more than anything he was just left in too long,, I also think that working him back into shape from the bull pen wouldnt be a bad idea.. He’s going 4-5 effectively but then seems to break down quickly.. what do you feel about that??

I still remember growing up watching Smoltz almost weekly (it sure seemed that way!), both as a starter, and as a reliever/closer. I have seen his OUTSTANDING work over the years–so I am sure he will be fine. (I am still surprised the Braves let him walk!) I simply believe at this point in his career, and as far as the more pressing needs go (let alone the burden on his arm), Smoltz should be in the BP. I KNOW better than to count Smoltz out! GO SOX!

I am not saying replace them all. Tek is a great catcher. But we need hits and he certainly isn’t going to give us that. I think Smoltz may come around but to me Bucholtz is the real trade bait the Sox are showing off. Penny is too iffy for now.

NO – I saw that! It is only on Friday & Saturday that they are doing the canned goods! I was hoping that they would on Sunday too! I’ll have to check it online – but I think they said only Friday and Saturday.

Maybe I overdid it on my first night of cheer leading. Too much of a shock for the boys.

Hey, let me share a story about managers. One time I was watching Eck pitch for the Sox against Baltimore. Eck was mowing down the Birds and at one point he would just get the ball and fire a strike! Get the ball, fire a strike. He was unhittable that day. He was in a zone! Well, wouldn’t you know, out trundles ole Earl Weaver to argue a called strike and he went into a full blown clown act! At one point he was down on the ground at the umps feet carefully pouring infield dirt into the umps shoes! Know what??? After order was restored, Eckersley tried to regain his rhythm but never got it back and the O’s knocked him out of the game and won it. Earl Weaver was one of the great ones.

I didn’t get a chance too see the game last night but it sounds like it was ” Ground Hog Day” ( Bill Murray movie way back when ) same story over and over again. It is more evident that Boston needs to grab a bat. Another young pitcher baffles Boston…… again. On Sunday when Halladay shut them down, that was Halladay being Halladay. I am o.k. with that but when some no names shut them down, I have a problem with that.

The Sox without Lugo are 1-4, I guess Boston should bring him back. Julio Lugo where are you????? LOL!!

We could live with the loss of the Toronto series. But Texas? Don’t get me wrong. Tex is a good hitting team. Smoltz ‘s game fell squarely and fairly on Francona. Last night’s game, the bats went to sleep against a pitcher who was knocked out by the Sox in an inning and a half when they met the last time.
We are counting on Buchholz to stop the bleeding. It is so unfair to Buchhie.
Bats, Bats, Bats…..
I have repeatedly said that for the Sox to win, the hitters have to hit and the pitchers have to pitch. Where is Earl Weaver when you need him?

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Red Sox have acquired lefthanded-hitting first baseman Adam LaRoche from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The report, written by Dejan Kovacevic, does not indicate who the Red Sox are sending to Pittsburgh in return.

…and now we speculate as to whats going to happen with Youk/Lowell.. LaRoche is a leftie so maybe youk will platoon with Lowell at 3rd (giving Mike needed rest)?? But what does this do to the bench.. Kotsay??

This is what WEEI (Boston Sports Radio station) has to say on their website:

Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Red Sox have traded for first baseman Adam LaRoche of the Pittsburgh Pirates. LaRoche is a power-hitting first baseman who has averaged 24.5 homers over the past four seasons with the Braves and Pirates. He is hitting .247 with a .329 OBP and .441 slugging mark for the Pirates this year, down from career totals of .269/.338/.486. As of now, there is no word about who the Sox are sending to the Pirates, though a baseball source has confirmed that Manny Delcarmen IS NOT involved in the deal.

This from the WEEI website – and read the last paragraph – talk about WEIRD!!!

Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Red Sox and Pirates have agreed in principle to a trade that would send first baseman Adam LaRoche of the Pittsburgh Pirates to Boston. LaRoche is a power-hitting first baseman who has averaged 24.5 homers over the past four seasons with the Braves and Pirates. He is hitting .247 with a .329 OBP and .441 slugging mark for the Pirates this year, down from career totals of .269/.338/.486.

According to multiple baseball sources, the Pirates will receive shortstop Argenis Diaz and pitcher Hunter Strickland when the deal is finalized. Diaz is known as a gifted defensive player, but there are questions about his bat. The 22-year-old Diaz is hitting .253/.309/.310 with Double-A Portland this year. Strickland, an 18th round pick in 2007, is 5-4 with a 3.35 ERA for the Greenville Drive of the Single-A South Atlantic League this year. The 6-foot-5 20-year-old has shown excellent command for the Drive, with a 51-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 83.1 innings this year.

LaRoche is eligible for free agency following this season. He is playing on a one-year, $7.05 million deal in 2009, his last as an arbitration-eligible player. His brother, Andy, was part of the three-team deal that sent Jason Bay to Boston and Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles last July 31.

Ellen,
My first cheer didn’t go quite excactly as planned. My leap off the balcony started as a perfect swan dive and went well for the first second or so. But when I started my barrel-roll-to-a-soft-landing the timing was off by a split second and I landed on my newly tattooed Red Sox Logo forehead; right on the junction of 4 kitchen tiles. Now I have a slightly swollen purple “X” across the Logo. Not to worry, though; it didn’t hurt too much since I was unconcsious for quite some time. This morning I had a cracking headache and I am seeing double, but that will pass, I’m sure.
So I have devised a new cheer:
I dyed my leather jacket blood red and fired up my old Vincent Black Shadow for the new cheer. I’m riding across New Mexico right this very second on my way to Texas. The plan is for me to set up my bike with the rear tire right on home plate. I will hold the front brake tight and rev up the throttle to about half, ease off the clutch and let the rear tire free-wheel raising clouds of smoke. As the smoke engulfs the infield area a stage will rise directly over me with the Shondells singing—-IN ADVANCE OF A RED SOX WIN!!!!—- “Love That Dirty Water”. At the end of the song I will come rocketing out from beneath the stage, and, using the pitcher’s mound as a ramp, I’ll launch, ala’ Evil Knievel, myself and the bike into deep center field, where Lugo–recently unemployed– will be standing with a huge glove and will catch the bike and myself. The cheers from the crowd will be deafening!
Wish me luck……………..oh, there’s my exit. I’ll be in Arlington in about 2 hours. See ya.

Arnie – if there is anything that will get us a Red Sox win tonight – I think it will be your cheer!!!!! Good luck and can not wait to see the replays on NESN!!! oh – and make sure Lugo has a REALLY big glove; you know how he can fumble sometimes! ;-)

I would say between kotsay and Baldelli, that “I” would part company with Baldelli.. Each time Kotsay has been in the game, he has shown that he REALLY wants the job… Rocco is still kind of an unproven entity… I’m not sure of the status of his illness that had him out last year, but I would say that he’ll be the odd man out…

Arnie… I really think you ought to wear an Elvis Jumpsuit and scarf!!! White jumpsuit with a red scarf and a blue one… All American All RedSox… and lol get the original Dirty Water by the Standells…. (you were VERY close, must have been the “bump” on your forehead!!).. Arnie watch out for wandering steer on the highway… BE CAREFUL.. See you at 1st pitch…

Can’t wait to see this one, Arnie! ;)
I posted my thought on the Adam LaRoche deal on the next post. I’m not exactly thrilled.
I would also agree with Ellen–if we had to choose between Kotsay and Rocco, I’d take Kotsay.
GO SOX! GO ARNIE! ;)

Can’t believe we got Adam LaRoche!! I wish him luck and maybe he can help us get out of this…whatever you wanna call it. Maybe he can help us win the 2009 WS. That’ll be awesome!! And I agree with Greg, keep Kotsay, and send Rocco to the DL or something. Wait, Rocco is still in Boston?! Kidding, I knew that!!
-Hollyhttp://irishsoxkid19.mlblogs.com

You have pies in the skies about smoltz, true, hall of famer but over the hill gang member as well. What pop are you talking about? Now Halladay has pop as a bazooka arm, and we should be dealing the house for him and another bat like Holliday would be great for us Halladay and Holliday–oh joy! Come on Theo use that education you have for some smart dealing this mid season!!! diehardboston fan since 1969 and proud of it! Comments from the peanut gallery welcome!!!!!

You have pies in the skies about smoltz, true, hall of famer but over the hill gang member as well. What pop are you talking about? Now Halladay has pop as a bazooka arm, and we should be dealing the house for him and another bat like Holliday would be great for us Halladay and Holliday–oh joy! Come on Theo use that education you have for some smart dealing this mid season!!! diehardboston fan since 1969 and proud of it! Comments from the peanut gallery welcome!!!!!

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